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Dorset speed camera bosses hit out after spate of arson

7:00am Thursday 25th February 2010


SPEED camera bosses have hit out at vandals who have attacked cameras 10 times in the last year.

They said repairs will be carried out to ensure the seven cameras are up and running again as soon as possible.

And they warned offenders they face huge fines and lengthy prison terms if caught.

Although the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership has said recently that it plans to remove some static cameras in the future, a spokesman said there are currently no plans to implement the changes.

Among those recently torched are cameras in Ferndown, Bear Cross, Longham, Verwood and Three Legged Cross, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

“Arson is a criminal offence and Dorset Police is investigating the incidents,” said a spokesman. “Depending on the severity of the incident, those caught committing this offence could have their cases heard at either magistrates’ court or the crown court.”

The maximum sentence for arson in the magistrates’ court is six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000. In the crown court, life imprisonment is an option.

Five of the cameras were vandalised in a period of just seven weeks, underlining the strength of feeling among motorists.


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Your Say YourEcho

dorsetspeed, Poole says...
8:07am Thu 25 Feb 10

When is it going to start to sink in with the "speed camera bosses" that their activities are pointless and the best thing that can happen to cameras is that they are vandalised, then we might actually start to see a replacement road safety strategy that works

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rodoftruth, Bournemouth says...
8:07am Thu 25 Feb 10

excellent work by whoever it is that is doing this excellent job

could we do a fundraiser to help offset your costs?

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2Much...again!, Ringwood says...
8:14am Thu 25 Feb 10

“Depending on the severity of the incident, those caught committing this offence could have their cases heard at either magistrates’ court or the crown court.”
Hope the costs will be paid for by revenue raised by the little yellow robbers (cameras) and not by me!
If these people are caught and go to court..could the echo please let me know. I would happily stand outside with a banner reminding the authorities that they are supposed to serve the people, not oppress us all with big brother antics!

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Insight, says...
8:25am Thu 25 Feb 10

Destroying speed cameras seems to be a growing global phenomena, not just a local one and if I were holding the council tax purse strings I'd hold off paying out to replace these easily destroyed expensive devices, until the 'speed camera bosses' could guarantee the investment could be properly protected, otherwise it’s obviously just more good money after bad and I don’t want my money spent so easily by people too stubborn to give up a dead duck. Of course, the camera manufacturers are laughing whatever happens, as the gullible councillors buy yet another camera.
Perhaps if they stationed a real police car by each camera to protect it? ..or is the irony a little too painfull?

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fartycat, bournemouth says...
8:37am Thu 25 Feb 10

Reap what you sow xxx

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rayc, Wimborne says...
8:57am Thu 25 Feb 10

I passed the covered up burnt out Speed Camera at Bear Cross yesterday and couldn't help but wonder whether I felt less safe than when it was active.
In the recent correspondance on the 40mph temporary speed limit on Wessex Way the arguement was used thet there had been no accidents since its introduction so it should be made permanent. Can I use the same arguement for the Speed Camera? Since it has been covered up has there been a sudden increase in accidents?
Speed cameras have been found out, as per the Emperors New Clothes, and the Camera Partnership sound like spoilt kids who's toys have been taken away.

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Perry_Winkle, Poole says...
10:01am Thu 25 Feb 10

"Although the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership has said recently that it plans to remove some static cameras in the future, a spokesman said there are currently no plans to implement the changes."

So they have plans, but no plans - which is it? Do they just have the intention to remove these at some unspecified time in a far off future? After the oil has run out and we're all cycling?

What a bunch of doofusses!

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souwest, Bournemouth says...
10:31am Thu 25 Feb 10

Arson is a crime - I am surprised though that you dont hear of people putting a bag over the top of the camera. Yes, it's easily removed by the Forces of Darkness but you are not committing a crime by "belling the cat".

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rayc, Wimborne says...
10:38am Thu 25 Feb 10

souwest wrote:
Arson is a crime - I am surprised though that you dont hear of people putting a bag over the top of the camera. Yes, it's easily removed by the Forces of Darkness but you are not committing a crime by "belling the cat".
I think you will find that you are guilty of a criminal offence if you interfere with the camera so as to prevent it carrying out its function.
Its the sasame as standing with a placard saying "speed trap " in advance of a mobile van.
In today's Britain the authorities have thought of these things which may impact on the income.

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Gordon Clifton, Blandford Forum says...
11:05am Thu 25 Feb 10

We never hear about the radiation hazards of fixed speed cameras. Surely there's a health and safety issue here? Presumably the cancer-inducing radiation is permanently on and spraying down the road to affect pedestrians and residents? Microwave ovens have to meet stringent leakage standards yet here we have the same sort of radiation affecting children, pregnant mums and the rest of us. Maybe we can all sit round the cameras with 'ding' meals from Iceland and get them cooked for free?

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sollie, says...
11:47am Thu 25 Feb 10

Arson is a criminal offence - yes and so is highway robbery.

Save the money and invest in some proper road safety measures.

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Peggy Babcock, Poole says...
11:48am Thu 25 Feb 10

Next we know they will erect a cctv camera by the speed camara...

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2Much...again!, Ringwood says...
11:55am Thu 25 Feb 10

Wonder how much the speed camera bosses earn?

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Gordon Clifton, Blandford Forum says...
12:09pm Thu 25 Feb 10

Re: speed cameras and CCTV: don't they already put CCTV near cameras that have been subject to the attention of the balaclava squad? On the opposite side of the street - possibly attached to a house? Anything is possible in the Nu Labour state.

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dorsetspeed, Poole says...
12:13pm Thu 25 Feb 10

Ok, you can now do something about this - join the facebook group http://www.facebook.
com/group.php?v=wall
&ref=search&gid=2703
44911445#!/group.php
?gid=322036386102

I hope to have a great news item shortly

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Insight, says...
12:55pm Thu 25 Feb 10

The Salary of the average 'speed camera boss' would put at least three 'real' policemen back in the force. This might go some way to combating crimes such as arson and vandalism. A near perfect example of the old axiom "too many cheifs, not enough indians". Let's not forget that the latest DfT figures show less than 3% of crashes on Britains roads have breaking a speed limit as a factor, taking that into account, even if there were a speed camera every hundred yards on every single road in the country, it's near impossible they can make any kind of noticable difference to what is supposed to be their only function. Maybe the council should put hundreds of thousands of pounds in carrier bags and hang them out on poles in the street overnight, then at least the money would end up being spent on something and not just burnt!

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jonpds, says...
12:57pm Thu 25 Feb 10

Join the 2 facebook groups against the Wessex and Dorset Way speed reductions before we are all criminalised by our big brother police state.

Search for groups:
"Stop the Wessex Way 40mph Madness" and "Dorset Way 50mph madness"

THOSE THAT REALLY WANT TO STAND UP AND FIGHT MUST MEET....
AN ORGANISATION HAS TO BE FORMED.
OBJECTIVES MADE AND METHODS DISCUSSED.
THERE WILL BE SCIENTISTS, INTELLECTUALS, LAWYERS AND WOODSMEN AND SUCH A GROUP MIGHT EVEN FORM A MILITARY WING AND/OR DIRECT ACTION GROUP.
It is sad that so many people prefer to turn away, are frightened of being active - dictatorships have been able to thrive because of this apathy and fear - but there comes a point WHEN DECENT PEOPLE DO STAND UP - ONE BY ONE - AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - BECAUSE IF YOU FEAR PETTY BUREAUCRATS STICKING THEIR LIMP ARGUMENTS IN YOUR DORCUM AND LETTING BIG BROTHER CARRY ON AD INFINITUM WITH THEIR CCTV AND SPEEDING CAMERAS THEN WE TRULY ARE DONE FOR.

WE MUST STAND UP AND RIP THOSE CHAINS APART.
THE RELEVANT OFFICIALS AND POLICE MUST BE DISMISSED WITHOUT PENSIONS.
THEY SHOULD ALL BE MADE TO DO SOMETHING USEFUL SUCH AS GARDENING IN THE PARKS AND COLLECTING LITTER FOR US.
THEY SHOULD BE CHAINED TO THEIR BINS AND GUARDS SHOULD OBSERVE THEM CONSTANTLY WITH VIDEO-ENABLED HELMETS ON.

LET THOSE WHO HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND WANT REAL SAFETY ON THE ROADS STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

LET US DO AWAY WITH THEM.

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WaveyDavey, Poole says...
8:29pm Thu 25 Feb 10

rayc wrote:
I passed the covered up burnt out Speed Camera at Bear Cross yesterday and couldn't help but wonder whether I felt less safe than when it was active.
In the recent correspondance on the 40mph temporary speed limit on Wessex Way the arguement was used thet there had been no accidents since its introduction so it should be made permanent. Can I use the same arguement for the Speed Camera? Since it has been covered up has there been a sudden increase in accidents?
Speed cameras have been found out, as per the Emperors New Clothes, and the Camera Partnership sound like spoilt kids who's toys have been taken away.
rayc wrote: "I passed the covered up burnt out Speed Camera at Bear Cross yesterday... Since it has been covered up has there been a sudden increase in accidents?"

More importantly, has there been a sudden increase in speed by those driving past it? Like them or loathe them, the simplest solution to stop the spread of these cameras is to drive within the speed limits. If everyone did this simple thing the cameras would be rendered useless; they'd cease to generate any money from the motorist. I don't necessarily agree with speed cameras, but they are only enforcing an offence after all.

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McVICAR, bournemouth says...
9:53pm Thu 25 Feb 10

This is turning into a war between the arsonists and the speed camera partnership to see who will give in first, I hope and pray that whoever is doing this will not be the first to give in.
To whoever is doing this, keep up the good work, I only wish I had your bottle, kill all the cameras DEAD, well done whoever you are.

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Insight, says...
7:31am Fri 26 Feb 10

WaveyDavey wrote:
rayc wrote: I passed the covered up burnt out Speed Camera at Bear Cross yesterday and couldn't help but wonder whether I felt less safe than when it was active. In the recent correspondance on the 40mph temporary speed limit on Wessex Way the arguement was used thet there had been no accidents since its introduction so it should be made permanent. Can I use the same arguement for the Speed Camera? Since it has been covered up has there been a sudden increase in accidents? Speed cameras have been found out, as per the Emperors New Clothes, and the Camera Partnership sound like spoilt kids who's toys have been taken away.
rayc wrote: "I passed the covered up burnt out Speed Camera at Bear Cross yesterday... Since it has been covered up has there been a sudden increase in accidents?" More importantly, has there been a sudden increase in speed by those driving past it? Like them or loathe them, the simplest solution to stop the spread of these cameras is to drive within the speed limits. If everyone did this simple thing the cameras would be rendered useless; they'd cease to generate any money from the motorist. I don't necessarily agree with speed cameras, but they are only enforcing an offence after all.
WaveyDavey wrote:

"Like them or loathe them, the simplest solution to stop the spread of these cameras is to drive within the speed limits."
No, the issue of driving within the speed limit is almost irrelevant, the only way to tackle these corrupt, incompetent people is to expose them, their abuse and manipulation of statistics to mislead and present a false series of results along with their blind obsession with one symptom to further the brand of speed camera.
The very fact that people who probably know they were innocent of the offence, but have paid up anyway, as they can't afford to contest the conviction, was made very obvious in several counties over the last few years. Hundreds of thousands of fines have had to be returned to innocent drivers, who were not speeding, because of inaccurate equipment and incompetent private operators.
Millions of pounds of convictions are not collected due to faked documentation and cloning from drivers who shouldn't even be on the road in the first place, but remain unchallenged as the simple minded, easily lead, one size fits all solution is portrayed as a viable solution to problems of road safety.
It is time for this corruption to end, by all means, obey the law and stay within speed limits, but don't lay down and accept what is and always has been a huge confidence trick played on our gullible council by the people who make the most money out of these worthless devices, the camera manufacturers.
It is this simple, all the time councils are blowing our council taxes on cameras and not on methodologies that actually work, no matter how the stats are spun are road networks continue to deteriorate to a point where today, we have some of the worst roads in Europe!

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dorsetspeed, Poole says...
8:05am Fri 26 Feb 10

“Like them or loathe them, the simplest solution to stop the spread of these cameras is to drive within the speed limits.” I think that’s a bit simplistic. Firstly, when speed camera revenue falls, limits also fall to the point that they simply can’t be taken seriously, and people simply can’t waste the time to drive at the speed limit. So as simple as it seems, you will never get the majority of people driving below the limit. Secondly, this cannot possibly be a justification for cameras or the complete lack of attention to the real problems. We need systems to promote road safety, all we have is systems that extract cash from the easy targets who aren’t causing a problem.

Please join the facebook group below to show your support for the termination of the parasites that feed off the “sa£ety camera” system

http://www.facebook.
com/group.php?gid=32
2036386102

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